What & Why
 

What caliber rifle do you use for deer hunting and why?
I use a 243 because in my "twlight":D years I want less recoil and a lightgun to carry in the woods.

If this has been posted before, I apoligize and just ignor it.


Spudrow from Mo

RE: What & Why
 

i just bought a Remington 700 in .243 for the same reason:)

RE: What & Why
 

Remington 700 Mountain Rifle LSS 30-06 because:
A) It's a beautiful gun
B) I shoot a lot of deer in last light, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, with the 150 gr. Core-lokt I don't have to bloodtrail them in the dark (they drop within 20 yards if not in their tracks).

RE: What & Why
 

30.06 It was my dads and he never hunted so I put it to use.

RE: What & Why
 

I shoot a Rem. 30-06 7600 (pump)

Why?
It fits me just right. When I put the gun up I'm right on my target. Most of my shots are close and a lot of the deer are moving. If I was to go shopping I would look for a shorter gun with the same fit. I like pump actions. I'm quick with it and as opposed to a semi auto it forces me to reaim every shot.

RE: What & Why
 

I use a .270 WSM because I often hunt on a power-pipe line that runs through my land. Many of my shots are in the 200 to 300 yard range. The 130 grain short mag has a very flat trajectory with little drop at 300 yards. I'm confident with my gun and round at 400 yards. It also does fine at short ranges. The longest shot I took this season with my Browning A-Bolt WSM was a whopping 32 yards, and I killed three nice bucks with it. Last season I killed two bucks past 300 yards, so it does great at short or long distances.

RE: What & Why
 

Remington model 700 ADL in 30.06 180 gr. corelokt soft points. I use it because its almost a standard. Most stores carry the ammo I need to feed it. I understand what your saying about recoil though. If the 243 works for you, use it.

RE: What & Why
 

I use a 50 cal. muzzle loader.
Why? because you cant userifles in Iowa for deer & I love shooting black powder.

RE: What & Why
 

Yea I like m/l a lot as well. M/L for the first time this past season.


Spudrow from Mo

RE: What & Why
 

I use my Savage 30-06 more than anything probably. I use it because it is lightweight, points where I want it to shoot,it is wicked accurate, and I have history with it.
I also use my Savage .243 for all of the same reasons as the 30-06. I just don't have as much history with it.

RE: What & Why
 

My favorite is my trusty old Ruger M-77 in 7x57 Mauser.Low recoil and It's proven itself on all game throughout the world for MANY years.

RE: What & Why
 

Same reason here in Illinois. I'll shoot my muzzleloader over my slug gun anytime.

RE: What & Why
 

browning ablot 243 wssm because thats what my dad bought me

RE: What & Why
 

30-06. All the deer I have killed with it dropped right there or not far from there. This year only one ran a little ways. Maybe 25 yards?

The only thing I don't like about it is the bullet trajectory. With the ammo I use for it the bullet drops 37.8 inches at 500 yards. This ends up not being a major issue for me because I've been shooting it for years. But, I want to buy something that shoots flatter just because.

RE: What & Why
 

.30-'06 Savage 111.

The main reason for a Savage is that I am left handed and wanted a bolt action. Savage has always been able to deliver affordable left-handed bolt guns.

Also, I started hunting when in college and planned on grad school. I needed a rifle that was economical and I knew I wouldn't be able to buy another gun if a hunting trip for something besides whitetails presented itself. A .30-'06 offered the versatility and also gave a wide variety of shells at reasonable prices.

It turned out to be the right choice for the situation. It's still the only rifle I own and, frankly, will probably never need anything else.

RE: What & Why
 

X2!
I've went through the "magnumitis" stage, using a 7MM RM, good, but a little overkill!
I am also partial to my .308, and if I could keep only one gun, the .308 would be it!
The .243 does everything you'd ever want done on Whitetails! With less recoil!

RE: What & Why
 

You can't use rifles for deeranywhere in Iowa or just where you hunt? I didn't know it was a slug gun only state.

RE: What & Why
 

I have my Grandads Savage 30-30 supersporter. Wonderfully accurate and has sentimental value too. He took his last buck with it and I took my 1st.
April

RE: What & Why
 

I also hunt with a243 Win. My dad bought it for me the second year I went hunting and I've used it since. I think he chose this one because of recoil. I really like it cause of the flat shooting and also use it for groundhogs.

RE: What & Why
 

I usually hunt with a bow but when I do use a rifle it depends. In open country I use my 7mm mag (winchester) 150 or 180 gr.... In heavily wooded areas its the open sighted 30-30....

RE: What & Why
 

half the time i use my 3030, half the time i use my 7 mag, because i'm young (but fully grown) and can handle the recoil, and i like to kill them super dead.

RE: What & Why
 

Where I hunt they are not legal I do believe Southern Ia has a late rifleseason though.

RE: What & Why
 

30-06 probably more than anything, but i have several rifles that I use.

RE: What & Why
 

.243 Kimber Longmaster Classic: This is the best rifle I can afford. It has many features that custom guns would have such as a great trigger, fully floated and buttoned, etc. I would love to own a custom gun, but my budget does not currently allow for it. At least it is a step up from Remingtons;). I hunt with a .243 because it is my opinion based on ballistics that this is the perfect deer hunting rifle for me. I have never had a problem with it, and with new advances, the bullets just keep getting bettter. Why shoot a 7mm mag if you don't need all that thump? Maybe people just can't hit the boiler room? Seems like a good excuse for bad shooting?

RE: What & Why
 

I currently use a .243 Rem 700 SS Mountain Rifle for deer hunting. It is extremely light weight, is very accurate, and takes down deer with little recoil. I still love shooting all my other rifles, but for deer, I'll stick with the .243.

RE: What & Why
 

300 Win Mag. I bought it because I can hunt anything from deer to moose with it, and could only afford one rifle. If i was to get a rifle strickly for whitetails i probably would look at a 270 wsm or 7mm 08

RE: What & Why
 

I used a 700ADL for 30 years or so and I love the rifle and the caliber, but got to where I couldn't stand shooting that mule. I guess it's me getting older too. In a hunting situation I didn't mind it, but hated target shooting and sighting in. My ears would ring for a couple of hours after shooting it only one shot while hunting. So this year I bought a brand new Model 700BDL in .243 caliber. It is a beautiful gun and I always wanted an BDL. The gun is noticeably heavier than the old ADL so that minimizes the recoil even more. I don't mind shooting it at all and will kill anything around here.

RE: What & Why
 

That'sgreat brushbuck28. I have3 grand daughters and hopefully one will take to hunting. I would love to leave my Winchester model 94 to one of them.


Spudrow from Mo

RE: What & Why
 

2 years ago I shot a 150 class with a 243 - he ran 150 yards and parked it into some heavy cover - lung shot but effective - At that time I had a 30-06 with a poor scope and did not trust the accuracy. A few years of saving some money - I finally downed my second deer over 160 - used the 30-06 with a Ziess scope (Smith&Wesson 1500 Model) I turned to this gun just because the big man needs a big gun philosophy! Shot placement is critical - the last two deer with the 30-06 - no more than 15-30 yards - heart shots! Plus the exit hole from the last deer was about 3 inches - but the deer was only 30 yard from my ground position!

RE: What & Why
 

The first deer I shot was with my father's Winchester 94 in 30-30. I use a 30-06 when I use a rifle, but that does not answer your question. I understand you becoming recoil sensitive as my dad has also developed this (no longer wants to shoot a 12 ga). If a person selects a 243, PLEASE choose the proper bullet and be precise in your shot placement. Some places do not allow the 243 due to problems with wounded deer. The 243 is not a caliber I would suggest for a new hunter as you cannot control all the variables like wind gusts and animal movement, and there is not much margin for error with this caliber. For a new hunter a 7mm-08, 30-30, 257 Roberts or Ackley Improved, or 308 might be a better choice.

RE: What & Why
 

I use a 270 Winchester. i have read alot of Jack OConnor and i really like the 270. Im just weird like that, cuz i dont really care for the 7mm bullet, even though i know its a good bullet, i just like and prefer the 270. really, a 30-06 or 7mm mag, or 300 Win mag or whatever wont kill anything deader than a 270 will.

RE: What & Why
 

For the last 20 years, I've use a Marlin 30-30. I got it for my birthday when I was 14 and have used it ever since. I've used it this long for a couple reasons; it's killed every deer I've shot and it's the only deer rifle I've owned until just recently. I bought a 7 mag a few days ago. I'll probably use it next year.

RE: What & Why
 

I use a Tikka in 30-06 because it fits me very well. It is also quite light and very accurate, doesn't look bad either.

RE: What & Why
 

I use several rifles but my main companion in the fall is my Marlin 336 in .35 Rem. It fits me well, shoots 3/4" groups at 100 yardsand is the ultimate woods gun.

RE: What & Why
 

I use a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle LSS in 7mm-08 because it is a good looking gun, it's light, it doesn't beat me up at the range, it shoots sub-1" groups all the time (@100yds) and it has killed every deer I've pointed it at out to 250yds so far. That's enough for me to stick with it!

RE: What & Why
 

I shoot a Tikka T-3 in 30-06. I love the caliber and I won the gun at a Pheasants Forever banquet.

RE: What & Why
 

Well, let's see there's a 270 WSM Ruger MKII, 307 Win, 30-06 FN Mauser, and the 35 Whelen Rem 7600. Which gun do I use, depends on which ones scream the loudest while I'm packing for the trip. Seriously though I try to match the gun to the hunting conditions. For the thick brush and deep woods I prefer the 307 or the 35 Whelen which are both open sighted, the 307 has a ghost ring and the 35 a Williams peep, the 270 WSM and 30-06 wear 3x9 Leupold's. That being said my winter projects are to sporterize a Czech Mauser to 257 Roberts and a Swedish M96. I intend on cutting the barrel on the 96 down to 22" recrown, bend the bolt and eventually drill and tap for a scope, until then I'll be using an Accumounts military mount that is similar to the B-Square set up but a lot sturdier. Haven't decided on what scope will go on it yet though. The 257 will probably be my walking gun seeing as how I am building for light weight. Why do I use them, well I am a bit nostalgic and it is hard to improve upon perfection which is what the m98 mauser is. That and when I'm out in the woods or at the range and an old timer comes up and asks "Whatcha got there" then get a weird look. I love it. I will probably be picking up another surplus M98 before long to make into another Whelen or maybe 338-06, that's next years project though, if our saviour Obama has not suckered the sheep of this county into forgoing the Second.

RE: What & Why
 

I use my father's old Model 70 in 7mm Rem. Mag. It is probably too much gun for the fairly small NY whitetails I shoot with it, and it has a huge custom walnut stock on it that weighs a ton making it a pain to carry around. I love it however. My father has taken piles and piles of deer with it, a couple bear, and a few big mulies. I grew up listening to stories about him hunting with the "7 Mag" and I used to be in awe of the size of the cartridges. A few years ago My father, brother and I went on a mule deer hunt in Montana with my uncle and my father bought a new rifle so I got to use the 7 Mag. I managed to take a huge mule deer out there and have since used it on a couple whitetails. As such i've unofficially adopted it and its one of my most prized possessions. It is a thing of functional beauty, the bolt is slick as glass, and the trigger is crisp, the blueing is faded in all the usual places and that beautiful stock has plenty of scars from years of hard use but in a way that makes it more beautiful to me. My only wish is that it could talk and tell some of its stories.

RE: What & Why
 

Depends on the locale:

Beretta AL390 shotgun with a hastings slug barrel. Used onlywhere slugs are legally required. Accurate enough, amazingly effective.

Marlin 1895 .45-70, when shots will be < 150 yards. I use this when hunting in very heavy cover. I want a big hole and a big blood trail. With hand-loads, this rifle is very accurate. This rifle is not blessed with a flat trajectory.

Sako .308 when shots will potentially be > 150 yards. Again, with hand-loads, a very accurate rifle.

-nosualc